Mosin Nagant Variants

Another Czech beauty that i found. This one was even in a movie or at least this model was. It was the 1995 movie Hidden Assassin.

Here is another one I found online. Only 5413 were made.

Some history:The Czech VZ54 was an attempt by the Czechs in the early 50's to allow "unification" of there equipment with the Soviet equipment of that period. The Czech's had always used Mausers for there sniper rifles and that some of that carried over in the VZ54, like the use of capture screws on the action screws, hooded front sight, sling attachment, and hand guard design. The requirements the Czech's laid down for the recievers the Soviets where going to furnish was so strict that most the soviets furnished where rejected and only after the Czech's loosened up there tolerances on the thread diameter for the reciever threads for the barrels did they get enough recievers to begin production. Production commenced in 1955 with a run of 100 test rifles , but only 75 test rifles had been produced by December of 1955. Production of 4000 VZ54's was scheduled for 1956 but due to ongoing issues with soviet supplied recievers only 108 rifles where completed and accepted by the Czeh Army , and these where produced between Sept./Dec 1956. In 1957, with supply issues final worked out the Czech's produced a total of 5410 VZ54 sniper rifles, with an additional 3 produced in 1958 before production ceased. The VZ 54 is both shorter and lighter than it's PU sniper counterpart, and sports a heavier barrel and a unique 2.5x scope. The stock is a pistol grip design with a uniquely designed bolt.The bolt handle has a slot on its head to tighten/loosen the scope mount from its base and is designed to maintan it's Zero if removed and reinstalled. The Czech requirements for these rifles to be accepted was that they put 10 rounds into a 50x50cm square @ 800m something that was easly acheived by these rifles thanks to the heavier barrels. These rifles served in the Czeh National Army until the 1970's when they where replaced with Soviet SVD Dragunov's. Afterwards they where used by domestic police forces and starting in 1990 where upgraded with new stocks, optics, and bipods to become the VZ54/91 sniper rifle.

The example here was obtained by me from Denise Kroh @ Empire arms in March 2012 There are very few matched examples of these since most where imported with mixed parts and scopes. A number where even imported w/o the scopes and the scopes, and replacement scopes are almost impossible to find.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."Aristotle